8 Elementary Virginia Readers' Choice Books You Don't Want to Miss

Reading new kids' chapter books and recommending them is always fun for me. Every summer I spend a great deal of my day diving into the chapter books and thinking of ways my colleagues can use them in their lessons. I also walk through classrooms with the books and help students find the books they will love. More than anything I totally enjoy talking with the kids about why they liked a particular book and what they got out of it.
You don't want to miss out on these fun Virginia Readers' Choice chapter books that can be used in so many ways.

These ideas can be helpful to teachers and students as they navigate the Virginia Readers' Choice books and prepare themselves for the big vote in April!

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Read Alouds

Reading aloud to older students is always a great idea. Finding time to do it should be a non-negotiable in your classroom. And several of the Virginia Readers' Choice books make great read-aloud choices for your classroom.


The Adventures of Henry Whiskers tells the exciting story of Henry the mouse and his family as they live in the dollhouse in the palace in England. Young Isabelle is lost, and Henry and his friend Jeremy go on a quest to find her. What happens when they go out on an adventure of a lifetime to find and save her?

Sharing Themes

Finding the theme in books helps students better understand books and themselves. These books share a common theme that will hit home with many students ~ Finding out who you really are.


Allie, a fifth grader, had it all right, until her mother became the principal of the school. Now things don't seem to be going well socially for her, and she can't figure out how to fix it. Juggling her after school life and trying to be "normal" hasn't been easy for Allie, but she learn a lot about herself in Confessions from the Principal's Kid.


Young Pablo is about to turn 10, and he wants to know how he came to Isla, along with Birdy, who protects him daily. In Pablo and Birdy, everyone in Isla has a story to tell about Pablo, but he longs for the truth. And Isla is famous for its searfarer parrots, but no one has seen one. Yet, no one knows what kind of bird Birdy is. Why is Pablo on the island, and what kind of bird is Birdy?



Alec loves to read, read, read, but he can't read all during school. So, he makes a plan to read after school all afternoon in the after school program. He creates "The Losers Club" just to do that, but what happens when others want to join? And what about the name? Alec realizes he needs to figure out how to overcome challenges and still find ways to do what he loves. The Losers Club by Andrew Clements will help students better understand who they are in an engaging book.

When young Mia moves to America in the book Front Desk, she and her family think that life will be easier than it was in China. It doesn't take them long to figure out that it will take a lot of hard work to be successful in America. Her family comes upon the chance to manage a hotel, and Mia finds ways to make their lives a little easier when she runs the front desk. But running the front desk isn't easy, especially with an owner who cares only about himself. Mia not only learns how to run a hotel, but she learns who she really is and finds her true potential.


Lemons by Melissa Savage holds another story of someone who finds their true potential in life. Lemonade Liberty Witt has just had to go live with a grandfather she has never known after the death of her mother. Moving from San Francisco to small town Willow Creek, CA isn't easy at all. It's even worse when she finds that the entire place works to find Bigfoot. Lemonade (Lem for short) must find her way into a new family and a new town where life is so different from before.

 
Add one more to this theme! They Didn't Teach This in Worm School will have students rolling with laughter as they read this funny tale about a bird who thinks he is a flamingo and a worm who tries everything he can to not be eaten. Finding friendship as unusual friends, these two unlikely partners work together to stay out of trouble and try to find the best solution to all their problems. In the long run, they both learn a little more about themselves. Kids and adults will enjoy the humor and antics, along with fun pictures. Children of all ages will enjoy this fun story!

Genre Studies

It's always fun to learn about new genres, and this year there is a mystery that does that and more!

Living in Virginia, this series is bound to be fun and exciting! Steven K. Smith takes us on an adventure in Jamestown with Sam, Derek, and Caitlin in Shadows at Jamestown, #6 in the Virginia Mysteries series. Sam, Derek, and Caitlin are excited to spend a week out on the field as they dig for archaeological finds in Jamestown. During their stay, they see people talking late at night and notice strange things happening. 

When Sam finds a fully intact vase on the first day of the dig, the excitement begins. Everyone is thrilled about this amazing find, but not everything is as it seems. What is going on? How will these three young students figure out everything and stay safe?

I love that there is a little bit of history in the book, and it can really get kids talking about life at Jamestown. This series looks like fun too as kids can relate to places around Virginia and learn a little more about the history of the area in each book.


I'm putting Lemons here too because it fits! There is a great deal of mystery in the story as the two main characters Lem and Tobin search the area for Bigfoot. But it also fits another genre, the genre of moving to a new home, foster home. Have you read The Great Gilly Hopkins and Pictures of Hollis Woods? What about last year's Virginia Readers' Choice favorite Wish? All of these have foster children as main characters who have to learn to live the best life in their new homes. What a great way to bring that idea all together and compare stories.

You and your students will enjoy these fun Virginia Readers' Choice books for the 2019-2020 school year. If you want to find out more about the picture books featured, head on over to this post.

You don't want to miss out on these fun Virginia Readers' Choice chapter books that can be used in so many ways.



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